As Luck Would Have It
by mumyou nanashi
Summary: HIATUS. Due to her father's weird taste in future sons in law, Cagalli Yula Athha decides to make her great escape and hides out in her cousin's apartment. Enter her worst childhood enemy and sparks [the unromantic kind] fly. [AU, AC]
1. Chapter One The Great Escape

_**Special Thanks to my best friend and critic/beta-reader, Lee!**_

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_**General Disclaimer:** I do not own Gundam SEED. And this applies to the whole fic._

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**Chapter One – The Great Escape**

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"_Could you please move farther away from me? I do not like the idea of you, or anyone for that matter, in the vicinity of my breathing space."_

_"Well, tough luck, buster! If you don't want anyone of us breathing in the same air as you do, you might as well move your ass to Mars – or better yet, Pluto!"_

_"Fine!"_

_"Fine!"_

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Cagalli Yula Athha was in a frenzied state. She was beside herself. She clutched the letter with trembling hands. The blasted letter that was about to ruin her life – if not, had ruined it already. She turned blazing amber eyes to her cousin, Shinn Asuka. "Do you have any idea what this letter means!"

Shinn took off his eyes from the magazine that he was reading to look at his shrieking cousin. "No… but I'm sure you'll tell me, anyway."

Cagalli crumpled the crisp letter and threw it forcefully at Shinn's forehead, where it bounced off and landed on the carpeted floor. "It says here that my father has already arranged for me to get married!" she cried. She collapsed on the sofa that Shinn was lazing on. "It's so unfair!"

"You know what's even more unfair?" Shinn asked crossly, rubbing his forehead and tugging on his magazine that Cagalli was now sitting on. "Good, quality reading material getting squished by a huge bum." He shoved Cagalli a little roughly and pulled his magazine free.

"Is that all you're going to say?" Cagalli snapped. She snatched the magazine out of her cousin's hand and threw it halfway across her messy bedroom. "I'm in dire straits here! Words of comfort would be nice and appreciated!"

Shinn sat up, rolled his eyes and grabbed the letter that Cagalli threw at him. "_'Cagalli'_," he began in his most accurate imitation of Uzumi Nara Athha's voice, "_'I am pleased to inform you that I have found someone whom you can finally live the rest of your life with. I will be coming home soon with your future husband'_…blah, blah, blah." He snorted. "God, your dad's freakiness still manages to shine through."

"Shinn…" Cagalli warned in her most threatening tone. She sighed and closed her eyes resignedly. "Ugh…if only Kira was here."

"Yes…if only Kira was here, I wouldn't be stuck here in your room listening to your whining," Shinn muttered sardonically. Aloud, he said, "It's not that much of a surprise, Cagalli. We all know that Uncle was bound to do that sooner or later…after your brother's 'successful' –" he made imaginary quotation marks in the air with his fingers "– engagement."

Fiery, amber eyes glared at him. "But not this soon!" Cagalli cried. She knew what Shinn was talking about. But that was different! His wimpy twin brother and Lacus Clyne were a match made in heaven! Kira was just lucky he landed with someone he actually liked. She doubted she had the same luck or that she would end up with prince charming! Plus… "I haven't even finished college yet!"

"Why don't you just run away, then?" Shinn suggested dryly and, at the same time, jokingly. But the 'joke' was lost on his desperate cousin.

Cagalli suddenly turned to face him with an unreadable expression on her face. "What…did you just say…?" she asked slowly.

Shinn could practically see a bulb lighting up on top of Cagalli's blonde head. He frowned. "Aw, wipe that dumb look off your face! I was only joking, so get your mind off the gutter!" he scolded.

But Cagalli was already on her feet kicking aside all the trash cluttered on her messy floor. Shinn stared dumbfounded at her as she took out a large duffel bag, some clothes, some girly stuff, and other miscellaneous items. She threw it inside the bag and zipped it. She gave Shinn a triumphant look. "You know, I never thought I'd say this but, you're a genius!"

Shinn finally found his voice and he stood up abruptly. "W-wait!" he sputtered. "What the hell are you planning to do?"

"I take that back. You -are- dumb!" Cagalli snapped. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm running away, you numbskull!"

"Y-you can't do that!" Shinn stammered.

"Oh, yes I freakin' can!" Cagalli replied angrily, making her way towards the door.

Shinn finally snapped out of his dumb trance and grabbed Cagalli's arm to stop her from whatever drastic thing she was about to do. "Listen here you! I'm not doing this because I am, ugh –" he rolled his eyes "– concerned about your well-being! I am doing this because of my own self-preservation! Do you know what Uncle will do to me once he finds out about your temporary (or permanent) bout of insanity!"

Cagalli stared at him incredulously and then wrenched her arm free. "I don't want to get married to some strange jerk with some nerdy name like Jona Roma Seiran!" she screeched in Shinn's ear.

Shinn, probably on instinct (and self-preservation), brought his hands to his vulnerable ears to cover them. After Cagalli's screeching had stopped, he removed his hands from his ears and gave Cagalli his trademark crimson death glare. "Okay, let's make a deal. Let's talk about this calmly and rationally –" he pointed at the sofa "– while sitting down, if you don't mind."

Cagalli angrily stomped towards the sofa and collapsed on it, throwing her bag carelessly at the floor. She crossed her arms stubbornly and glared at her cousin, who was currently pacing the floor anxiously.

Shinn ran a hand through his black hair. "Look, Cagalli. I may hate you and you may hate me…but…er, let's just pretend for a moment that I don't hate you and that you don't hate me," he muttered hurriedly.

"Get to the damn point," Cagalli snapped (though a bit less harshly than normal).

Shinn stopped walking to and fro and stared at the messy floor as if it held the answers to the universe. After a moment of (uncharacteristic) silence, he sighed resignedly. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans for something and threw it at Cagalli.

Cagalli caught it and, after recognizing it, held it up curiously. "Your house keys?"

He nodded unenthusiastically, as if he was already regretting some decision he made. "Yeah, those are my house keys. You can't just leave and go someplace completely unknown. You can sort of hide in my apartment." He held up three fingers and ticked off the reasons one by one. "Since: one, we hate each other; two, the apartment is for males only and; three, because it's so far away, no one in their right minds would go look for you there. You're lucky that it's spring break…" he trailed off uncertainly.

Amber eyes stared at him in complete and utter amazement. "You'd do that…for me? Really?"

Shinn gave her a sheepish look that was soon replaced with a snarl. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm doing this for my own self-preservation!"

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Cagalli pulled her cap lower as she entered the bus. It did nothing to hide her shoulder-length blonde hair, but it at least shadowed her features. She nervously glanced around. After seeing her surroundings, she fought the urge to run back to her house and forget about the whole thing. She wrinkled her nose disgustedly as she made her way down the aisle to look for an available seat…preferably next to someone normal.

_'Too fat…too fidgety…Ugh, that one just drooled! Too noisy…too pretty…NO! That one's a certified pervert!'_

Finally, she found the most acceptable seat. The seat next to it was empty and if luck was on her side, she would have to seat next to no one at all! She dumped her duffel bag on the aisle seat and settled herself on the window seat. It wasn't that she was picky or whatever…Okay, okay, she was picky. But Cagalli had always hated bus rides. They were bumpy, full of annoying people, and with perverts, to boot. Plus, the bus itself was old, rickety, and smelly.

Shinn had forbidden her to use her car (or his car, for that matter) for her 'great escape'. Cars were easy to follow. If she were to use public transportation, then she would be almost impossible to track.

_'Hmmm… for once, Shinn gave me good advice. I might as well consider forgiving him for that videotape of me dancing to the tune of _Baby…One More Time…_'_ she contemplated.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ringing of her cell phone. She dug around her bag for it and flipped it open, slightly embarrassed at the curious stares that all the busybodies were giving her.

"What?" she hissed.

_"Where are you! Are you there yet?"_ Shinn boomed from the other line. _"Remember, you promised to clean my bathroom!"_

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I remember. And the bus hasn't even left the terminal yet, so would you quit bugging me?"

_"Yeah, whatever. Well, if anyone asks, I had nothing to do with this!"_

And then, the line went dead.

Muttering about annoying younger cousins, Cagalli stuffed her cell phone back into her bag, crossed her arms, and settled down for the long and bumpy ride.

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Cagalli fought the urge to tear her hair apart. Shinn's instructions weren't very helpful, plus, his handwriting was illegible! She bet not even the best military code-breakers would be able to decipher it! She dialed Shinn's number once again. She heard a female voice saying that her 'call was being connected' and that she should 'wait a moment'. Finally, she heard the familiar ringing sound.

_"Hello?"_ a slightly groggy voice answered from the other line.

"Shinn, you bastard! You fell asleep didn't you!" she shrieked. She glared at a passer-by that was raising an eyebrow at her. "Bug off!" she snapped to the man. The man raised his hands in mock surrender and quickly ambled away.

_"What did you expect me to do while waiting for you to get there? Twiddle my thumbs?"_ Shinn asked sarcastically.

"Well, you see, you big buffoon, that's the problem! I'm not 'there' yet! Wherever 'there' may be! I'm in the middle of nowhere with only your horrible instructions in your equally horrible handwriting to rely on!"

_"Do you see any of the landmarks that I described?"_ Shinn asked impatiently.

Cagalli huffed, but looked around nonetheless. She spotted a sign. "Well, there's a sign here that says 'Camp Schneider'."

There was a pause. _"Camp Schneider? Hmmm… You got off at the wrong stop. Walk further north; the road leading to the town should be nearby."_

Cagalli grumbled and proceeded to walk. After a few kilometers, her feet began to ache. "Shinn! Are you pulling my leg! Where is the goddamn entrance to the goddamn road that you're talking about?"

_"Just walk some more! It's near!"_

"Near! NEAR! Well, tell that to my dead feet! You should see my sneakers! They're smoking 'round the edges! I'm bathing in my own sweat! My bag's strap is cutting through my shoulders!" Cagalli yelled, her voice getting higher and higher. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM! I AM LOST! LOST! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU LAZY, RED-EYED FREAK! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I LISTENED TO YOU WHEN WE'VE HATED EACH OTHER'S GUTS ALL OUR LIVES! YOU COULD BE SETTING ME UP, FOR ALL I KNOW! I –" she paused as a sign caught her eye.

_"Are you finished insulting me?"_ Shinn asked dryly.

Cagalli began to laugh loudly; more passers-by were giving her 'you're-crazy' looks. "I found it!"

_"What?"_

"I found it!" Cagalli continued laughing triumphantly, not caring that she looked fresh out of a loony-bin. From there on, her hide-out was just a ten-minute bus ride away…well, that was what it said according to Shinn's scrawls.

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Cagalli stared up at the ridiculously pink, ten-storey building in front of her. Imagine! Shinn 'macho-man' Asuka lived in a -pink- apartment! She fought the urge to laugh out loud. It was bad enough that she had been labeled 'crazy girl' on her way here – no need for the locals to think the same way.

Overall, the building looked clean and pleasant enough – considering that it was an all male's institution. She followed the cemented pathway and entered the building through its glass doors. She wrinkled her nose; the interior of the building was the same gaudy color. The stairs were located at the center; a hallway on each side of the stair that probably lead to the first floor rooms. Beside the stairs was an old, rickety elevator – the kind where the doors were just metal-railings and was -manually- pulled close by the passengers. There was some sort of reception area on the space at the center where several couches were placed.

There was a lady behind the counter, presumably the receptionist or caretaker. She looked like she was in her mid-fifties, with her salt-and-pepper hair tied-up in a neat bun behind her head. The lady peered at her through wire-rimmed glasses. Frankly, Cagalli thought she looked more like a librarian than a receptionist. She pushed the thought away and approached the lady.

"Good afternoon," Cagalli greeted politely. "I'm Cagalli At – Cagalli. I'm Shinn's Asuka's housekeeper and he sent me here to clean up his apartment."

The receptionist looked at her from head to foot. The bespectacled, middle-aged lady returned her gaze to Cagalli's face and eyed her suspiciously. "You're Mr. Asuka's housekeeper, you say? And he sent you here to clean his apartment?"

_'Duh? Are you deaf? I just said that,_' Cagalli thought sarcastically. She returned the gaze evenly. "Yes, ma'am. I bought a letter from Shi – er – Mr. Asuka, as well as some I.D.'s." She whipped out her cell phone. "And if you would like, you can talk to him and ask him yourself."

"Yes, please," the woman said, somewhat coldly.

Cagalli dialed Shinn's number.

_"What now!"_ Shinn snapped from the other line.

Cagalli ignored Shinn's rude greeting and plunged in. "-Mr. Asuka-?" she specifically emphasized the two words to get Shinn's attention. "This is Cagalli. The receptionist lady would like to have a word with you," she intoned. It was Shinn's idea that she pose as a hired help, anyway.

She gave the phone to the lady and stared at the sudden change in her demeanor upon hearing Shinn's voice. Cagalli almost gagged at the woman's severe politeness. After a few minutes, the woman finally hung up and nodded at Cagalli.

"You may proceed. I trust you already know Mr. Asuka's apartment number?" the lady asked her, haughty expression back in place. "I am sorry for the inconvenience, but this is a first-class establishment, after all and we have to make sure of our residents' security."

Cagalli gave a polite smile even though she wanted so badly to snort and roll her eyes. First-class her ass! The lobby wasn't even air-conditioned! "Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much." She nodded once in acknowledgement and proceeded to the open elevator beside the stairs.

She pressed the button for the tenth floor (_"God, why does Shinn have to live at the topmost floor! I just hope that this old contraption won't break down while I'm here!")_ and just before she pulled the elevator doors closed, she caught a glimpse of somewhat familiar blue-black hair, approaching the lobby-lady – with a polite and welcoming expression in place.

Cagalli ignored it and sighed happily. She finally reached her hiding place. Her father could look for her in every nook and cranny for all she cared. For now, she needed sleep.

As soon as she got off the elevator, she dragged her feet to Shinn's apartment. She didn't have time to revel at how Shinn's room was slightly cleaner than hers. She dumped her bag on the sofa and immediately crashed on Shinn's bed, not caring that it smelled funny.

She was too tired to care…too tired to whine…too tired to get angry…too tired to…

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_Blue-black hair…jade-green eyes…snobby sneer…haughty attitude…_

Cagalli woke up with a start. She bolted upright in her bed. Now that her mind was refreshed, realization and recognition finally sank in. Here eyes widened in shock.

"God! How could I forget! Athrun Zala lives here, too! Argh!"

She ran out of the bedroom and lunged at her duffel bag sitting oh-so-innocently at the sofa. She spilled its contents on the floor, looking for her phone. When she found it, she immediately called her cousin.

_"Damn it, Cagalli! Do you know what time it is!"_ Shinn yelled._ "Why didn't you call me while I was awake! Don't worry, they still don't know that you're there. Your father won't be arriving until the day after tomorrow,"_ he assured her, automatically assuming that it was the reason why she called.

"That's good. But that's not the reason why I called," Cagalli answered breathlessly. "Shinn, I need you to tell me something…" she took a deep breath, "Is Athrun Zala here?"

There was a pause, and she could hear Shinn scratching his head irritably. _"Zala? Well, I'm not sure. He could be. I mean, he got sick during finals week. Unlucky guy… I guess he's there to take some removal exams."_ He snarled. _"Is that all? Ugh! Stop bugging me!"_

And the line went dead.

Cagalli dropped her phone in shock. Normally, she would've been irritated and annoyed as hell at Shinn's lack of phone ethics. But there were more pressing matters at hand.

Athrun Zala, possibly the most snobbish person on earth, was there in the same building as she was!

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_**Author's Notes:** Yes! I finally uploaded this fic! It has been sitting in my hard drive since November. I uploaded this fic because it's already half-way done. I'll update every week._

_**Background Notes: **Would you believe that this story is loosely based on real life? It all started when my cousin called me up asking for the keys to my apartment. Well, being the nice cousin that I was (and because he promised to clean my bathroom), I relented and agreed to help him with his great escape. He needed to get away from his parents because he had a lot of failing marks, heh. He met an old childhood friend there, who was also a friend of mine and one of those who helped me through tough college times. They went out for a few times during my cousin's stay at my apartment, and the rest is history._

…_But, to be completely honest, they didn't end up together. Hehe._

**_REVIEW and let me know what you think!_**


	2. Chapter Two Bad Luck

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**Chapter Two – Bad Luck**

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After the initial shock had worn off, Cagalli went into Shinn's messy kitchen to make a cup of hot coffee. As she was looking for some packets of instant coffee, she caught sight of the clock hanging on the wall. No wonder Shinn got mad at her. It was 2:34 in the morning.

She worked mechanically, her mind dealing with other things.

_'Well, I guess I overreacted. Shinn told me after all, when he got in this university, that Athrun Zala was studying here as well."_

Reach for coffee mug. Put water.

_'And he mentioned quite a few times that they stayed at the same building.'_

Heat in microwave oven. Hmmm…Power? Ten. Time? Three minutes.

_'I'll just stay as far away from him as possible. I guess that's acceptable. I mean, it's possible we won't cross paths anyway. It's a huge building. I'll come out as little as possible, then. And he could be living at the topmost floor, for all I care!'_

Get spoon. Get sugar. Get milk – lots of milk.

_'Wait a minute…I think that's impossible…seeing as Shinn lives on the topmost floor…and if Athrun lives on the topmost floor, too…Oh, what the heck! Scratch that! I meant, 'and he could be living at the bottommost floor, for all I care!' There! That's better!'_

Beep. Beep. Beep. Take out mug from microwave. Place in tab –

"OW!"

Cagalli deposited the coffee mug harshly on the countertop. She waved her hands up and down to get rid of the heat. After that, she looked at red, raw skin. Well, they weren't severe burns…but they still hurt like hell!

"Damn…that guy is just bad luck…" she muttered as she ran her hand under the tap.

Shinn had told her that Athrun Zala had changed dramatically over the years (_but still cute…_). The snobby and haughty attitude was long gone (_but the cuteness was still there…_); Athrun was now kind, understanding, and well-loved (_and still cute…_). Shinn had used more praise-worthy words (_Aww…who was she kidding! Athrun was and is cute! End of story! Well…not exactly_), but she really did not give a damn.

For her, Athrun Zala would always be that (_cute_) little snobby snot who couldn't stand having anyone near his personal breathing space.

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Later that morning, at precisely seven o'clock a.m., Shinn got another rude wake-up call courtesy of his moody cousin.

_"Cagalli!"_ Shinn whined. _"Why don't you just go home if you're gonna treat me like a goddamn hotline? I think I liked it better when you were here… We're talking more than usual, you know that?"_

Cagalli rolled her eyes. She knew that her cousin couldn't see it, but it was by pure instinct. She swore inwardly to pummel Shinn's butt when she got out of that mess. "You should've warned me that your supplies were running low!"

Some grumbling and muttered curses were heard from Shinn's line. _"What supplies are you talking about?"_

"I meant food, you dimwit! Food! There's no canned stuff or even instant noodles! Don't tell me that coffee is all you have!" Cagalli asked exasperatedly. She closed – more like slammed – the cupboard furiously. Imagine! For the first time in her life, she actually woke up very early in the morning and there was no food – at all – in the table, much worse, on the cupboard. She inwardly berated herself for not noticing it when she made coffee hours ago.

Shinn let out a huff of frustration. _"Look, Cagalli. I don't stock up on food – canned food or noodles – for that matter. I live off on pizza and take-out. You should've said goodbye to Mana's home-cooked meals when you decided to hide!"_

"Pizza…?" Cagalli echoed weakly.

_"Yes. Pizza. And speaking of pizza, I think I forgot to throw away one. I left it on the balcony. Phew… I guess it's rotting now, huh?"_ Cagalli could practically see Shinn smirking at her.

"Argh!" This time it was Cagalli who cut the conversation short. Shinn was extremely annoying and arrogant even when they're miles apart!

She collapsed on the bed, buried her head in the pillows and screamed. It was all her father's fault! If only Kira wasn't away on that stupid smart-ass convention, she wouldn't have to ask for Shinn's help! So… it was also Kira's fault!

It was everyone's fault!

She hadn't eaten since yesterday and her stomach was demanding for some food. The coffee that she drank hours ago couldn't even be considered as food. She sighed resignedly. She had better pull herself together if she didn't want to suffer death by starvation.

She stood up, grabbed her coat, keys and wallet and got out off Shinn's messy apartment.

The whole building was quiet. Well, what did she expect? It was spring break after all, and normal students would be back at their parents' houses, lazing off and being the bums that they were. She got into the empty elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

She looked up at the row of numbers above the door, waiting for the 'G' light to flash. The elevator stopped at the second floor and for a brief bizarre moment, she envisioned Athrun stepping inside the elevator and recognizing her like in those cheap chick flicks.

The elevator doors opened and she waited for the passenger to come in. Her heart was pounding in uncanny anticipation…

…which was quickly replaced by aggravation when a big, fat, smelly, and sweaty man entered. She pressed herself in the elevator wall to keep as far away as possible to the stinking pot of belly.

It was a good thing that they were only a floor away. She didn't think she could stand the stink any longer. The elevator doors opened once again and Cagalli let the man exit first. First-class apartment, her ass! Any place with a stinky man in it can't be considered first class!

(And she had to remind that old woman that first-class apartments had new and modern elevators – the automatic kind! Not some rickety-old pulley that looked like it might break any minute! But that's a different story altogether.)

She quickly made her way out of the building to inhale some fresh air.

At seven a.m., the streets were still empty. The morning air was crisp and cool and the sun was shining very brightly. A small smile graced her features as she walked towards a random direction. _'I guess I should thank Shinn for this 'vacation'…'_

She was quite sure that Shinn told her something about a McDonald's store nearby…

She inwardly groaned at the thought. She ate fast food, just not on a daily basis. And by the way things were going, the only thing that she would be gaining from this situation would be a couple of pounds (…of fat).

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The thing about not having anything to do was that it made you think about things that you wouldn't normally think about. She had envisioned her great escape to be exciting and adrenaline-pumping…not extremely boring!

But it was…It really, truly was.

She had turned off her phone an hour ago because Mana, their housekeeper, had called her up. She didn't answer her cell phone, of course. That would've been idiotic. Mana was more than their housekeeper, practically speaking. She was almost like family. A very worried family member, it seemed.

She didn't want to talk to Mana just yet. Mana would just force her into a guilt-trip and before she knew it, she might be marching back into their house. Kira and their father would be back tomorrow or – if Mana told them about her little 'trip' – later today.

There was nothing worth watching on the T.V. and the radio was busted. Shinn, the bum, didn't have a telephone or a computer. Shinn was not exactly a book-person and frankly, so was she. She didn't want to go out, in fear of crossing paths with the Athrun-person. So she settled on the next best thing (the last thing, it seemed).

She stared at the ceiling.

Correction. She had been staring at the ceiling since freakin' nine in the morning! And guess what time it was? 11:19 a.m.

Well, sure, it was just under two hours…but do you know the saying about how time slows down when you're doing absolutely nothing? Her situation was applicable!

Cagalli grabbed the pillow beside her, covered her face with it and screamed herself senseless. After she had run out of breath and her throat had gone dry, she stopped.

_'That felt…'_ she groaned. _'That felt worse!'_

She read from somewhere that that was supposed to make you feel better. Well, judging from the raspy feeling in her throat, it was anything -but- true.

_'Just goes to show that you can't trust anyone but yourself!'_

She resumed ceiling-gazing.

_'Hmmm… the paint job is bad. Sucky choice of color, too. Wonder who picked it… Must be that damn she-beast downstairs. If I didn't know better, I'd say she just turned this apartment into an all-boys one in the hopes of finally finding someone dense and thick enough to marry her! Well, if I'm lucky and Athrun is unlucky, they'd end up together!'_ she snickered at the thought of Athrun and that black-haired she-devil procreating…

…but then quickly shuddered at the grossness of it all.

Ah… the silly things that one's mind makes up in the face of boredom.

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Cagalli groaned sleepily and cracked an eye open to look at the digital clock on top of the bedside table. She had fallen asleep sometime during her ceiling-gazing. It was 12:36 in the morning. She sighed and closed her eyes, hoping to go back to sleep.

But after a few minutes, opened them again.

She fluffed up her pillows, tossed and turned, rolled to the other side of the bed, counted imaginary sheep, but to no avail. She muttered a few, well-chosen curses under her breath and kicked her blankets aside. One thing was for certain, she wasn't going back to sleep any time soon. She sat up and furiously threw a pillow in a random direction. It was all Shinn's fault that his apartment was so boring!

"Well, if I can't sleep, then Shinn may not sleep as well!" she thundered. She reached for her phone and dialed Shinn's number. After a few rings, Shinn answered it and Cagalli was surprised to hear that her cousin sounded like he was expecting the call.

_"Cagalli! What are you doing?"_

Cagalli snorted and rolled her eyes. "What does it look and sound like I'm doing? I'm talking to you, idiot!"

_"Well, sorry for asking!"_ Shinn retorted sarcastically. _"I've been calling you since this afternoon but your phone was turned off."_

"Why do you think I turned it off?" Cagalli demanded rhetorically. "I turned it off because Mana called me up!"

_"I already know that," _Shinn sighed exasperatedly. _"Guess who tried to call you as well? Your dad and Kira. They're here, Cagalli. And they're worried sick."_

"Let them worry," Cagalli replied with morose satisfaction. "What the hell were they expecting? That I'd accept that marriage lying down with a smile on my face? Over my dead body!"

_"Er…that did not sound right. For one, you lying down with a smile on your face could almost account for a dead body,"_ Shinn corrected her dryly. _"Come on, Cagalli! When are you planning to go back? Whenever your dad shoots me that penetrating gaze of his and whenever Kira gives me that disappointed glare, I feel like I'm about to crack!"_ he whined. _"They know that -I- know something, Cagalli. I can feel it in my gut."_

Cagalli rolled her eyes once more. "Well, your gut is wrong!" she yelled at the phone. She always thought that Shinn got some kind of satisfaction at disobeying her father's wishes, but here he was, practically begging her to go home because he was being stared at! How dumb a reason was -that-? "If you breathe a word of where I'm staying, I'll –"

_"You'll what?"_ Shinn interrupted. From the tone of her cousin's voice, it seemed like he wasn't about to pass an opportunity to push Cagalli's buttons. _"Make me ring-bearer at your wedding?"_

"Don't remind me," Cagalli hissed threateningly. She wasn't going to get married to some strange jerk. She took several calming breaths before speaking again, remembering something Shinn had mentioned earlier. "You told me Kira was there?"

_"Yes, and he didn't look very peachy."_ His cousin sighed resignedly. _"And speaking of your wedding, here's another bad news, Cagalli. I've seen your soon-to-be-husband and let's just say you're better off staying single forever. Not even I, your worst enemy, would bear to let you marry such an obnoxious jerk!"_

Cagalli collapsed on her bed and fought the urge to tear her hair out – for the nth time that day. "If he's so bad, why the hell does my dad still want him for me?" she demanded through clenched teeth.

_"Maybe he's being brainwashed!"_ Shinn answered sarcastically. He snorted. _"How in the blue hell should I know what runs through your dad's freak mind?"_

"Hey! I'm the only one allowed to insult him in this situation!" Cagalli warned gloomily. "Any more bad news?" She had no idea calling Shinn would depress her even more.

_"Just one more,"_ Shinn informed her, voice incredibly calm.

Cagalli groaned. It had to be big, considering that Shinn saved it for last. She gripped her phone in anger, subconsciously surprised that it was still intact after all the abuse that she had subjected it to. _'Hmmm… I guess phones nowadays are Cagalli-proof.'_

"_Athrun knows you're there,"_ Shinn said nonchalantly, as if he was talking about something trivial like the weather.

Cagalli's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide in shock. Then her vision turned red. "You told him, you bastard!" she yelled accusingly. "I told you specifically that no living soul was supposed to know about this!"

"_And you also told me when I made friends with him that he had no soul,"_ Shinn muttered dryly. _"I didn't tell him, idiot,"_ he snarled._ "You were the one thick enough to leave the lights on! He saw that the lights were on from the window and he called me up to ask if I was there. You expect me to lie more?"_

Cagalli opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again and closed it yet again.

There. Were. No. Words!

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed in frustration. And for more effect, she threw her phone across the room where it landed – thankfully for the poor phone – on one of Shinn's strewn clothes.

"What perfect timing for you to develop some conscience, Shinn," she said through gritted teeth. She sat still for a few moments, her only movement the heavy breathing of her lungs. She was seething in anger! She counted slowly from one to ten to calm her nerves.

Afterwards, she saw her phone lying in what looked like one of Shinn's boxers (_'Ugh…'_). She stood up to pick it up. Her hands were only several centimeters away from her cell phone and the disgusting piece of clothing when she heard soft knocking coming from the front door.

Cagalli froze.

Then, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she rushed to the front door and took a peek through the peephole. She almost groaned aloud when she saw Athrun's slightly smiling face.

Her mind raced. _'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do! Wait. I could always pretend that I'm asleep. That could work!'_

She silently crept away from the door.

Athrun knocked again, this time more loudly. Then, Cagalli heard his muffled voice through the door. "Cagalli? I know you're there."

_'Uh-huh. I wonder how,'_ Cagalli thought dryly, thinking about Shinn's confession.

"Erm… it's kinda weird talking to a door, but I know you're awake. Er…" he trailed off uncertainly.

She glared venomously at the innocent door. _'You know what's weirder? Why are you even talking to me – er – the door when we've ignored each other for the most of our childhood days?'_

He continued talking. "I kinda heard you scream. I live on the unit directly below yours – er – Shinn's. I just want to know if everything's okay in there."

_'Well, that's one more thing that Shinn conveniently forgot to tell me! But I'm fine! Fine! Just peachy. You know, the usual, I'm getting married to some jerk and all that crap…Plus, having Shinn as a relative,'_ she thought sarcastically.

Another knock; this time, slightly withdrawn. "Uh…it's, um, Athrun. You remember? From elementary school?"

Cagalli rolled her eyes. _'Do I remember you? DO I! How could I forget you and your holier-than-thou attitude!'_ she felt her anger level steadily rising. Blame it on PMS, her boredom, her desperation, but whatever! Before she knew what she was doing, she had marched up in front of the door and violently pulled it open.

Athrun, who was caught in mid-knock, froze in surprise for awhile but quickly regained his composure. He broke into a wide smile. "Cagalli! Hey! We haven't seen each other in years!" and then, she was engulfed in a warm, friendly hug.

Cagalli was frozen in shock.

Athrun Zala -hugged- her!

-Athrun Zala- hugged her!

ATHRUN ZALA. HUGGED. HER.

A part of her mind noted how…-nice- he smelled. Her eyes widened at the sudden, unwelcome thought. _'Get a grip, Cagalli!_' she inwardly scolded herself, _'this is -Athrun Zala- you're smelling here!' _She immediately felt awkward and she pulled away in what she hoped was a not-so-rough way. She half-expected him to take offense but he was laughing when she pulled away.

"I think I should've introduced myself first before I did that!" he said mirthfully. "Oh, don't look at me like that." He had, apparently, mistaken her confusion for the 'I-don't-think-I-know-you' kind. "It's Athrun – Athrun Zala. Remember? From elementary school?"

Cagalli pretended to think hard. "Hmmm… let me think." She tapped her fingers on her chin for effect. Then, her face broke into a mocking smile. "Yes, I do remember you! The one who wanted to move to Mars or Pluto."

She expected Athrun to blush or even to appear embarrassed at her sarcastic reply, but again, he took no offense and his smile did not even falter. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who suggested that," he laughed good-naturedly. "I know what you're thinking but you won't bait me so easily."

Cagalli snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about," she denied stubbornly. But of course, she knew. Shinn's words echoed in her brain, _'He's such a good-guy… He helped me and talked to that professor that was making my life hell.' _She pushed the thought away. Why the hell should she believe Shinn's words?

Athrun gave her a smile and then bowed. "How would you like to see how much I've changed over a cup of coffee?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. What was up with him! "Are you nuts? It's almost one in the morning!" she exclaimed incredulously.

He raised an eyebrow. "So? You were the one screaming and throwing things at one in the morning. Plus, Shinn told me through an SMS message that you can't sleep. That makes two of us." He groaned. "I've got a killer test tomorrow – my only chance at passing that ridiculous subject and I can't concentrate without coffee."

Cagalli shook her head heatedly. "I want to sleep. Unlike you, I'm not here to take an exam or whatever," she grumbled. Then, as an after-thought, "And I don't want coffee."

Athrun shrugged. "You don't have to drink coffee. You can drink milk." He then proceeded to smile invitingly and openly at her.

Cagalli pondered on it for a moment. One part of her – the sane part, presumably – was telling her to -politely- decline the offer and go back to moping in Shinn's room. But the other half told her to accept Athrun's offer and oblige him. After all, it wasn't everyday that you see an old schoolmate. Sure she hated him, but she figured how immature it would look like to hold a grudge.

Maybe it was PMS, boredom, or her current situation, but Cagalli found herself agreeing.

"Okay," she finally answered. "But it's your treat," she concluded, as she stepped back into the apartment to grab her keys and other necessities.

Athrun's only reply was a smile.

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_**Author's Note:** A BIG **THANK YOU** TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED: **Maryam Khanoom, HimeHikari, Genny-chan, Craze-Izumi, Anon, Lalalu, Star-Moon-Angel, purple1, asga, The Angel's Princess, tha lil' angel, i.inspire, MXC - the show- rocks my socks.**_

_**A****nd an even bigger THANK YOU **to my bestfriend/critic/beta-reader:** Lee.**_

_** -**_

_Well, so finally they meet! **REVIEW**, okay? And tell me what you think, because your opinion matters.  
_


	3. Chapter Three Talk Over Milk and Coffee

**_Merry Christmas to everyone! Here's a somewhat early gift for all of you! You guys are the best!_**

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**Chapter Three – A Talk over Some Milk and Coffee**

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Several minutes and meters later, Cagalli found herself sitting in a coffee shop, drinking milk, with Athrun (of all people). The walk had been uneventful, with Athrun slightly humming happily to himself and with her wondering why on God's green earth did she agree to a midnight snack.

"So, how's life, in general?" Athrun asked her amiably.

Cagalli shrugged as she sipped some of her warm milk. She had to give Athrun credit. The quaint, little café located near the apartment complex was more than she had expected. Its lighting, as well as the choice of furniture, gave off a homely and comfortable ambience. There were couches and loveseats with great reading material on one corner.

They chose to seat on the usual chairs near the entrance. There was no need for privacy because at one o'clock in the morning, they got all the privacy that they needed. There were two other students on separate seats other than them, both of whom seemed to be engrossed in their books studying for whatever exams they had tomorrow.

Athrun stirred his black coffee (_'How boring,'_ Cagalli had thought). "Well, you could at least tell me what you're doing here. Shinn didn't say."

Cagalli snorted. "That's a surprise. I didn't think Shinn's huge mouth could get any bigger. If you're feeling particularly nosy, sorry but I'm not in the mood to talk about it."

"I understand," he nodded simply, and then sipped some of his coffee. "So, anything on the safe side that you want to talk about?"

"How's life, in general?" she asked wryly, shooting back his question at him.

Athrun laughed. "I've got a killer test and I'm not studying."

She put her elbow on the table and supported her head with her right hand. "Why then are you wasting your time getting me to talk about my secrets when you should be studying?"

"Are you nuts? I'd choose anything over studying!" he answered jokingly. "But seriously, I just wanted to talk to you. You know, talk about the old days and do some catching up." He sipped some of his coffee. "How's Kira, by the way?"

Cagalli rolled his eyes. "Kira? He's okay as long as his fiancée isn't around. His brain turns into mush and he stops acting like a normal, breathing human being."

Athrun leaned back in his chair and gave her a wide-eyed stare. "Fiancée? Kira's engaged? No kidding!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Cagalli shot back dryly.

"Not when you look like that," Athrun answered genially. He took another sip. "And what about you? Are you engaged?"

Cagalli froze mid-sip. The fiend was getting closer and closer to the truth! She concentrated on drinking her milk to prevent herself from saying anything. She was about to tell him to 'mind his own goddamn business' when Athrun spoke up.

"Do you find Shinn's room comfortable enough?" he asked, acting as if he never asked his previous question. He smiled encouragingly at Cagalli as if to say, _'That moment never happened.'_

"It's okay. But Shinn's really messy and he doesn't stock up on food," she answered automatically, her mind in anagrams at Athrun's thoughtfulness.

He could've pressed the issue further or even made a big deal out of it, but he didn't. Come to think of it, she had been all but polite the whole time and Athrun did not even seem to mind. He always smiled at her, took her insults in stride and never got annoyed.

_'Look who's the snobby one, now,'_ a little voice at the back of her head taunted.

"Ah… tell me about it. Shinn lives off on fast food. It makes me wonder how the heck he manages to stay alive during breaks when he lives on your house."

Cagalli only managed to raise an eyebrow questioningly, her mind still quite pre-occupied.

"I remembered Shinn once told me about your cook, Mana, and how much you love her dishes."

"Oh, that. Well… it makes me wonder whether or not his parents fed him normal food, when they were alive…" Upon realizing what she just said, she groaned and slapped a hand to her forehead. _'Open mouth, insert foot!'_

There was an awkward silence. She took a deep breath and asked in a soft voice, "Did he ever tell you about that?"

Athrun sighed. "It's a touchy subject for him… but yes, he told me once, although he was very vague about it."

"Oh…" Cagalli took a deep breath. "He's still a little bitter towards my Father… He was the one who sent them on that trip after all…"

"Yes. But I think that Shinn's quite old enough now to understand that it was an accident," Athrun offered consolingly.

"I guess…" She chuckled softly. "I think he's just being really stubborn and impolite towards my Father out of habit."

"So, all that hostility is a habit?" Athrun shook his head ruefully. "You should've seen him when he first entered this university. I was just being the nice person that I naturally am, offering to help him should he encounter any problems, when he snarled at me and told me to 'Fuck off!'"

Cagalli laughed openly, not just because of the anecdote but also because the serious moment had passed. Athrun was a good conversationalist; that was for sure.

When she had regained her composure, she drank some of her milk and proceeded to inspect the man in front of her out of the corner of her eyes. They haven't seen each other in so many years – thirteen to be exact. The last time they saw each other was when they had that shouting match at the bus that involved moving to other planets. The man in front of her looked just like the mature version of her schoolmate. His hair, although slightly longer now, was still the rare shade of black and blue and his eyes were still the intense green that she remembered. His eyes…well, now that she noticed it, looked different.

They were no longer the cold, proud and condescending ones that she remembered. They were warm, earnest, livelier, and happier and seemed to twinkle with amusement.

Shinn was right. Athrun Zala -had- changed. And for the better, it seemed.

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"…and from then on, Shinn told me he never opened his windows ever again," Athrun finished with a flourish.

Cagalli burst out laughing. So that was why all of Shinn's windows were closed! Athrun was just telling her of Shinn's misadventures as a college freshman. The latest was of Shinn waking up in the dead of the night with various insects flying around his room. "I bet if I give him a cricket, he'd faint!"

Athrun laughed. "He might. He looked genuinely scared."

"This smells blackmail, you know." Cagalli giggled gleefully, looking as if Christmas had come earlier. "Ah, I could go on for hours researching about good blackmail material for that idiot!" she stated smugly. "Why do you put up with him anyway? I mean, you don't even have to watch over him or help him with school stuff."

Athrun gave her a wistful smile. "He's like the little brother I never had – or wanted," he added jokingly. "He reminds me of me, somehow."

"I never thought I'd say this but, you couldn't be more wrong," Cagalli mumbled sheepishly.

"I take that as a compliment," he replied pleasantly.

She smiled genuinely. "Don't worry. It is." Then her smile turned wicked. "So…anymore juicy stuff? Shinn's ego is just waiting to be crushed."

"Well, if you buy me coffee the next time, I -might- consider regaling you with another tale of Shinn's misadventures."

That made Cagalli stop. Next time? There will be a next time? She hadn't expected for this small reunion to have repercussions. But blame it on PMS, boredom, her situation of whatever, but she found herself strangely looking forward to it. She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "It a deal."

"What about you? Any embarrassing stories to tell?" Athrun teased.

Cagalli scoffed, ignoring that videotape of her singing to '_Baby One More Time'._ "As if! What about -you-? I've got a lot of stories that would make the hairs of your fan girls curl. Shinn tells me you're quite famous among the ladies."

Athrun smiled again, but this time, it looked quite strained.

Cagalli laughed at the look on Athrun's face. "I see that being extremely nice is finally taking its toll on you! Come on, you could just brush them off and give them the cold shoulder."

"But… that would be quite rude."

"You never had that problem when we were kids," she pointed out.

Athrun raised an eyebrow. "That's right. When we were -kids-." He put emphasis on the last word.

"Aw, I was just teasing you!" Cagalli rolled her eyes. "It just feels weird talking to you after not talking for, well, for -forever-. You weren't exactly friendly or talkative, you know."

Athrun mock scowled, but his eyes were full of mirth. "You weren't exactly the epitome of all that was nice, when were children either."

"True, true. But I was an angel compared to you," Cagalli countered. "What the heck – just admit that you were a brat when you were a kid!"

"Okay."

"What!" Cagalli almost spit out the milk that she was drinking, her eyes wide in surprise. She had added the last part as a joke. She didn't mean anything by it!

"I admit that I was a brat when I was a kid," Athrun stated unflinchingly.

"W-wait!" she sputtered. "That was meant to be a joke, idiot!" It would've been nice hearing that more than a decade ago, but now that they were adults, it didn't seem so…satisfying.

Athrun's serious face gave into laughter. "I know! I was just kidding. Now, you have an embarrassing story to tell."

Cagalli ignored the heat creeping up her neck and focused instead on glaring at the young man in front of her. "You better thank your lucky stars I'm such a nice person."

"Duly noted." He mock saluted.

She shook her head, quite perplexed at the laughing young man drinking coffee with her. Cagalli opened her mouth to say her thoughts aloud when she was cut short by the shrill ringing of her phone. She took it out and immediately groaned when she saw who it was from the caller I.D.

It was Kira.

Cagalli was very tempted to dump her phone in the glass full of water in front of her. _'Hmp. Maybe he's thinking of catching me off-guard. Maybe he's thinking that I'd answer it with my mind half-asleep. What does he take me for – a freaking idiot?'_ She turned it off and then pocketed it.

Athrun gave her a curious stare but otherwise said nothing.

For a brief, possibly insane, moment, Cagalli considered telling Athrun the real reason why she was here. She quickly stepped on the urge. _'Why the hell would I tell him that? Sure, he's changed and now very nice but that still doesn't justify why I should trust him with my impending doom – er – marriage.'_

Athrun sipped some of his coffee and then glanced at his wristwatch. His eyes widened in surprise. "I can't believe it!" Then he turned his bewildered stare to the window. "It's quarter to six in the morning! So much for thanking my lucky stars…"

Cagalli's jaw dropped. "You're kidding!"

His lips curled up in a wry smile as he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Look –" he pointed at the window where the horizon was turning lighter "– the sun's about to rise."

She craned her neck to gaze at the pinkish sky. "You're right. We've been talking here for hours," she muttered in awe. Then realization dawned on her. She slapped her forehead in frustration. "Crap! I'm sorry!"

"Huh?" was Athrun's not-so-intelligent reply.

"You have a killer test later, right? And I wasted your time," she mumbled morosely. She shook her head regretfully. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

Athrun let out a short laugh. "Oh, don't worry about it. I had a fun time."

Cagalli gave him an apologetic smile. "I did, too…but we should head back now," she suggested. She was surprised that she felt somewhat saddened by the fact that their little reunion had to end. She was having so much fun talking to, of all people, Athrun Zala! Who'd have thought that he was such a good…friend?

He smiled and stood up. Being quite the gentleman, he pulled Cagalli's chair for her. They exited the quaint café with smiles on their faces and with Cagalli clutching the homemade chocolate-chip cookies that Athrun bought for her. She had refused vehemently but he had insisted. _"For breakfast,"_ he had said smilingly. He went on to comment how Shinn's choice of food revolved around potato chips, pizza, burgers and soda.

The walk home was uneventful. They made small talk and Athrun was such a gentleman that he walked with Cagalli until they reached her room. Cagalli stood by the doorway, face beaming and her spirits incredibly lighter than they had in days.

"Thanks, Athrun. Really," she said graciously.

Athrun shook his head. "I should be the one saying thank you. It was nice talking to you."

"Same here."

"Well, good night." And with that, he proceeded to walk down the hall, to where the elevator was located.

Cagalli stared at his back and just before he disappeared around the corner, he turned and waved. She was caught in surprise, but she waved back nonetheless. After that, she went inside Shinn's room, yawning childishly – not the very least bothered by how messy it was or how the paint job sucked or how it was incredibly boring in there or how it didn't have any food whatsoever. For the first time since her stay there, she felt happy.

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_**Author's Notes: THANKS** to all who read and reviewed: **i.inspire**, **CAT**, **purple1**, **ANONYMOUS-gsd**, **CelicaChick**, **MXC – the show – rocks my socks**, **asga**, **thousandbirds**, **duel-gundam**, **The Angels' Princess**, **Moonee**, **Genny-chan**, **Lalalu**, **HimeHikari**, **Maryam Khanoom**, and **MissRule.**_

_**Special Thanks goes to my best friend/critic, Lee.**_

_If you're up for something deep and introspective, go read her fic, 'That Summer'._

_So… that's chapter three. I'd like to thank the ones who gave me some mighty-helpful constructive criticisms/suggestions. I'll put them into heart. Many reviewers asked about Cagalli's attitude. Hehe. I guess she was pretty judgmental. But please give my portrayal of Cagalli one more chance. She's going through a lot (her arranged marriage, in particular), not having breakfast ready in the mornings (hehe), and seeing Athrun as more than the spoiled brat she knew._

_I hope I explained that fairly well. But don't worry; she'll start to 'warm up' to Athrun (hint, hint)._

_As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! Tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks!_


	4. Chapter Four Attempted Homicide

_**Happy New Year** to all! Unfortunately, my new year's resolutions do not include updating my fics regularly... sorry. :P_

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**Chapter Four – Attempted Homicide**

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Cagalli woke up at around half-past eleven.

She yawned very widely (and in a very un-ladylike way). As she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, her stomach rumbled, demanding for some food. Not one to ignore her stomach's whims, she stood up and went to the kitchen where she searched for some food.

Her gaze fell on the brown paper bag lying oh-so-innocently on the counter. She recognized it to be the chocolate chip cookies that Athrun bought for her. She felt her lips curl up in a smile. Who'd have thought that Athrun, the snobby little brat, would grow up to be Athrun, the thoughtful gentleman?

_'I wondered what happened…Well, I guess he just grew up. I mean, we all change when we grow up, right? Anyway, it's not in my place to pry.'_

She grabbed the cookies and went to the living room to watch some T.V.; she turned it on as she settled on the couch. Wrinkling her nose in distaste at the mid-afternoon soap opera showing on the current channel, she hurriedly grabbed the remote and flipped to some cartoons.

After a few minutes, she was laughing at the stupid antics of Spongebob and Patrick.

_'Breakfast-in-couch_ _isn't so bad after all…'_ she thought wryly.

When the show ended, she turned off the T.V. and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. The cookies were delectable and tasted just like her grandma's homemade chocolate chip cookies. She'd have to ask Athrun again for some more next time they go out for some coffee. Then, she felt her stomach flutter, the way that it did when she was getting excited.

She paused. _'Where the heck did that come from?'_

Was she, somehow, looking forward to seeing Athrun again?

She stated her protest by shaking her head vehemently. _'Of course not! Er…I'm looking forward to the…the cookies! Not Athrun!' _She rolled her eyes. _'I just got over hating his guts!'_

After she finished washing her hands, she stepped out of the kitchen with a frown on her face. She went back to the bedroom to do her new hobby: ceiling-gazing. She collapsed on the bed and winced when her head hit something small and hard.

She reached behind her head for the offending item and then brought it in front of her eyes for closer inspection. It was her poor, battered cell phone. She turned it on and was not surprised that she had a dozen or so unread messages in her inbox. She rolled her eyes and erased it all without bothering to read it.

Not having anything intellectually-stimulating to do, she decided to give an annoying someone an equally annoying call. _'Hmmm… I think it's time for me to give Shinn his daily does of butt-kicking,'_ she thought with a smirk.

And as if on cue, Shinn answered the phone after half-a-ring. _"Cagalli!"_

Cagalli grinned at no one. "Who else?" She flopped back on the bed. "So, how's it going there? Kira and Daddy-dearest wet their pants, yet?"

She heard Shinn snort. _"Very funny. You're quite lucky, you know that? They didn't want your fiancé's family to hear about your disappearance so they're keeping it quiet."_

Cagalli laughed. "Lucky, huh? But that's not what I want to happen. I want them to cancel the engagement. Either that, or I'll do something even more drastic."

_"Do you want me to tell them that?"_ Shinn asked dryly.

She rolled her eyes. "Duh! Of course not. You don't know anything, remember?"

_"Ooh…I forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me!"_ Shinn answered in an obviously sarcastic tone.

She laughed in reply.

_"Okay, what's wrong?"_ Shinn asked suspiciously. _"You sound…giddy…"_

Cagalli's smile was replaced by a frown. "What do you mean?" she snarled through the receiver, happy disposition immediately gone.

Shinn was obviously smirking – or perhaps fighting back fits of laughter. _"Just like that. You sound happy. Did something happen?"_

She growled. "What's it to you?"

_"Call it a case of curiosity. Come on! Spill!"_

"Curiosity killed the cat, Shinn. The same thing just might happen to you if you don't stop it," Cagalli hissed threateningly. Then she cut the conversation short.

Did she just call Shinn in the hopes of pissing him off? Well, the irony of it all! She was the one seething in uncontrollable rage. The nerve of that guy! How dare he imply that she was happy? How dare he sound surprised that she sounded happy!

_'Giddy, indeed'_ she raged.

She wasn't happy – at all!

Was she?

Waitafreakingminute…

Why was she angry anyway? Shinn just asked why she sounded happy… Was that reason enough to bite his head off? She needed to solve this mystery…fast. She remembered something her professor taught her when solving problems: ask questions.

_'Well, fire away.'_

Were you feeling happy?

_'Well, I was…before Shinn called,'_ she admitted grudgingly.

Why were you feeling happy?

She stopped at that. Why was she feeling happy, anyway? Last time she looked, Shinn was still alive and she was still engaged…so why the 'giddy' feeling? She racked her brains for any reason – any at all – why she was feeling that way.

Then it hit her. _'I was happy because I didn't have to scour for breakfast this morning.'_

And why is that?

Pft. That was easy. _'Because Athrun bought me cookies for breakfast. He was so nice last night…this morning – whatever. He was so nice! It felt good talking to him. And he made me laugh – which is kind of a hard thing to do considering my current predicament. I wonder when we're having coffee again… I have to remind him to buy me cookies so that I'll have someth –'_

She stopped. Did she just think -that-! Did she just imply that she was happy -because- of Athrun! There was only one thing to do at times like that.

Scream.

And that was exactly what she did.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Then, her shrieking voice was joined by the shrill ringing of her phone. Cagalli stopped screaming and answered her phone in a snappish manner. "What!" she yelled through the receiver, her voice a little hoarse from all the screaming that she just did.

_"I know what you did last night…"_ a creepy voice breathed.

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Nice try Shinn, if it weren't for the caller I.D. on my phone, I'd have felt a chill run down my spine." She snarled. "What the hell do you want? Bug off!" Then she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And what do you mean by that?"

Shinn laughed mockingly. _"Just that. What? Was that too hard for your puny brain to process? How was coffee with Athrun?"_

"What the –? You bastard! How the heck did you know that?" Cagalli seethed. "It was for free, so I agreed!"

_"Ha! So that's why you're so happy!"_ Shinn cried triumphantly. _"Geez, I didn't think that was all it took for you to be like that!"_

"Do I sound like I'm happy!" she demanded sarcastically.

He snorted. _"No…you sound deranged."_ Then he let out a snigger. _"Geez! That was all it took for you to feel all bubbly! Coffee? Hah! Remind me to tell your future husband!"_ She heard snickers. _"…or are you happy not because of the coffee…but because of Athrun?"_

"Shut up!" she yelled. Cagalli wanted so badly to wring her cousin's neck. "Shinn! Stop it or I'll kill you!"

_"Whatever. I still know what you did last night…"_ He finished teasingly in the same mock-creepy voice that he used earlier. How he managed to sound creepy and mockingly, she can't figure out. He laughed insultingly one last time and then hung-up.

Cagalli counted off from one to ten, her breath coming in ragged huffs. She was so mad! So mad that she could cheerfully murder Shinn and then perform a jig in front of his rotting carcass. So mad that she could gut Shinn and hang his intestines for the entire world to see. So mad that she could claw Shinn's unusual, red eyes out and then make nice dangling earrings out of them. So mad that she could…

And as her thoughts became creepier, bloodier, more sadistic and more violent, she proceeded to unconsciously tear Shinn's blue pillowcases in her bare hands.

After she ran out of pillowcases to rip apart, she decided to take a shower to cool down.

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It took Cagalli a very long shower to cool down and by the time she had finished, her stomach was rumbling again. This time, it was demanding for a late lunch. She grabbed her keys and wallet and left the house for some fast food.

The elevator was still old and rickety and the lobby-lady still glared at her. Her stay there was fast becoming a routine. She exited the building and walked in the direction to where McDonald's was located.

Now that her mind was cleared because of the shower, she wondered why she acted the way she acted when Shinn teased her about Athrun. She rolled her eyes at that.

_'It wasn't even that bad. I've received – and endured – far more worse from Shinn…so why did I get so upset?'_

Cagalli fought the urge to groan. She over-reacted, that was a given.

And she had no idea why. _'Must be PMS…'_

She pushed the thoughts in the deepest recesses of her brain. One thing to deal with things like that was denial. She'll just forget it ever happened and that was that. But, fate – or damned destiny – had other plans. As she turned on a corner, she saw the familiar form of Athrun staring at a window shop.

Cagalli froze. She so wanted to go the other direction but her feet were firmly planted on the ground. She looked down to see if she stepped on some sort of super-glue and when she looked back up again, Athrun waved at her.

She inwardly cursed her dumb luck as she waved back half-heartedly.

Athrun approached her and smiled. "Hey! Did you just have lunch?"

Cagalli opened her mouth to say 'yes', but her stomach decided against it by vocalizing its thoughts (if it had any). She blushed and shook her head. "Actually… I was just about to have lunch."

Athrun coughed to hide a smile that had made its way on his lips. "Well, you told me how much you hated fast food, so why don't I treat you somewhere else?"

Cagalli was torn. Her mind said no but her stomach was screaming 'yes'! And not one to go against her stomach's wishes… "Sure. That sounds great." She smiled weakly.

-

-

Athrun never ceased to amaze her. Once again, he had taken her to a restaurant that suited her tastes. It was as if he knew -exactly- what she wanted. The atmosphere, the people, the staff – heck, even the smell of the place itself – just made her inwardly beam in approval. It had a homely appeal, but still radiated with class and elegance.

Since it was already half-past one in the afternoon, the place wasn't full of customers. They were seated on a booth beside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. They could clearly see the street outside. But they hardly paid attention to it.

They had each other to keep them occupied, after all.

The waiter handed each of them the menu and proceeded to wait for their orders. She scanned it and was slightly relieved that the dishes weren't too pricey. She glanced at Athrun, waiting for him to give his order to the waiter.

Athrun smiled indulgently at her. "Ladies first."

Cagalli shrugged. "Always the gentleman, huh? Well, I'd like to have the spaghetti with meatballs and a glass of iced tea, please," she said as she handed the menu back to the waiter.

"I think I'll go for the chicken Alfrédo," Athrun stated, returning his menu as well. "And bottled mineral water," he added as an afterthought.

"Excellent choice," the waiter said. And with a smile and a slight bow of his head, he went and disappeared behind the swinging double doors that most likely lead to the kitchen.

After the waiter had left, an unusual silence filled the air between the two of them.

Cagalli, unused to the silence, racked her brains for anything to say. "Um… so… how was the killer test?" She mentally congratulated herself for choosing a 'safe' topic.

"It went okay – as okay as killer tests go," Athrun answered jokingly.

"Had a hard time?" she asked kindly.

"Yeah," he said truthfully. He didn't seem bothered at the very least.

She felt something heavy at the pit of her stomach. At first she thought it was just hunger but then, there was that nagging feeling that came with it. Guilt. She sighed. "I'm sorry I kept you up until morning."

Athrun brushed the thought away. "Come on! Don't be silly. I studied for it ages ago and my brain was demanding me for some sort of break." Then, he leaned closer conspiratorially. "And, honestly, I just used you as my escape ticket," he whispered jokingly.

She glared in mock anger. "I knew it! You fiend!"

And then they burst out in laughter.

Afterwards, Cagalli bit her lip hesitantly. "Are you sure?"

He nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course. If it was your fault, do you think you'd be here getting free lunch?"

She felt her eyes widen at that. "You're paying for my food – again?" Then she shook her head in protest. "No, this is -my- treat. For the milk and cookies."

Athrun put on a mock-shocked face. "I never let the ladies pay!"

"Oh, come on! This isn't a date!" Cagalli chided nonchalantly. But deep inside, her heart was ramming in her ribs. _'A date! Where the heck did that come from! Of course this isn't a date! …Is it?'_

Athrun's only reply was a smile. Cagalli expected him to elaborate more but then their food arrived. For the next few minutes, they ate their food in silence. Athrun was right – the food was great! She wondered why Shinn chose to eat the junk that fast food chains pass as food when there was comfort food haven in the vicinity. The saying, 'you are what you eat', was true after all.

As they ate their food in companionable silence, there was a nagging thought at the back of Cagalli's mind that refused to go away. She pondered hard on it. She had something she wanted to ask Athrun…but what was it? Then she remembered.

"So," she began in what she hoped was a casual tone, "Shinn called me up and it looks like he knew about our talk over some coffee and milk last night. Did you tell him?"

Athrun's brow furrowed. "Shinn…? Didn't he tell you? He was the one who gave me the idea to take you out for coffee."

"Oh?" Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "Really now?" she asked calmly. But her mind was working full-time digesting the newly-acquired information. _'So…it was the little brat's idea, huh? One more wrong move, Shinn, and you'll find yourself lying lifeless, facedown in a gutter somewhere…'_ she thought darkly.

"Erm…? Cagalli? Are you okay?" Athrun's worried voice cut through her morbid thoughts.

"I'm fine," she answered cheerfully – a little -too- cheerfully, but Athrun didn't seem to notice – or chose not to. She sipped some of her iced tea. "The food's great, by the way."

Athrun grinned. "I'm glad you like it."

Cagalli, despite murderous intent directed at Shinn, found herself grinning back. "And remember, I haven't paid back that coffee that I owe you."

He blinked. Then he smiled again, this time wider and happier. "I'll put that in mind."

Once again, Athrun's actions piqued Cagalli's interest. Always the vocal one, she decided to finally ask the one question that had been plaguing her mind. "So…what happened?"

His brows furrowed confusedly. "Huh? 'What happened' what?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "You know, I don't mean to be rude, but… how did you become so… nice?"

As usual, Athrun took no offense. He chuckled softly. "Oh…that. Well, to tell you honestly," he dropped his voice in a whisper, but it did not mask the excitement that he obviously felt, "I met someone."

"Someone?" she echoed, puzzled.

Athrun nodded. "Someone very special."

"O-Oh," was the only reply that she could muster. In all her years of hanging out with guys like Shinn and Kira, 'someone -very- special' always meant 'someone female'. Cagalli couldn't explain it but she felt a dead weight settle at the pit of her stomach – and something told her it wasn't just the spaghetti and meatballs that she ate.

Someone?

Very special?

A girl?

A girlfriend?

So…he had a girlfriend. Well, it wasn't that surprising. Athrun was a cute guy with the right attitude to match. He must have a girlfriend or something. It didn't shock her at all.

But that still didn't explain why she found the love-struck look on Athrun's face sickening, to say the least.

-

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_**Author's Notes:** Dun-dun! Haha. Just who is that mystery girlfriend? I hope it didn't seem too clichéd. A girlfriend, huh? (snicker) If you have any comments and suggestions, don't hesitate to tell me. But if you're just going to complain that this fic isn't very thought-provoking... haha._

_**Thanks **for reading and reviewing! And to these guys in particular: **Kandida**, **MXC - the show - rocks my socks**, **purple1**,** Maryam Khanoom**, **TT**, **duel-gundam**, **The Angels' Princess**, **Miss Peeps**, **thousandbirds**,**CelicaChick**, **Craze Izumi**, **Eternally Asuka**, **Yukimi noh Daoimoru**, **MyouseiSeed**, **i.inspire**, and**animeluver461**._

_And of course, this fic wouldn't be complete without theusual**special thanks** to my **best friend/critic**:** Lee (Lia lostsmile)**_


	5. Chapter Five Psychic

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**Chapter Five - Psychic**

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After they had finished eating their lunch, Athrun had invited Cagalli for some afternoon coffee – or tea if she preferred it – but she had politely declined saying that she had "…stuff…" to do. Athrun had walked her home for the second time, accompanying her until they reached Shinn's door. But unlike the first time, she immediately went inside after a muttered "thanks", not even bothering to see him off.

And now, here she was in Shinn's living room, doing the "…stuff…" that she planned to do: burn a hole through the carpet with her pacing. Her mind was racing. Her heart was thumping. Her stomach was fluttering. Her breath was heaving.

Yes, she was distraught.

Yes, it was because of -Athrun-.

But what was making her even more distraught was -why-.

According to Shinn, she had been feeling happy because of Athrun. And now, she was feeling upset because of the same man. But then again, why the hell should she trust what Shinn said? Only an insane person could do that! And even though she had been extremely moody and downright murderous for the past days, she was still perfectly sane, thank you very much.

At least that was what she thought so.

_'Maybe the spaghetti and meatballs that I ate had gone bad… Ugh. Maybe I should call up the management or something…'_ she thought with a groan. Suddenly she felt her legs go sore – probably because she had been pacing for close to an hour now. She decided to rest for awhile, get her bearings in check – preferably in the comfort of the couch.

She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling, with her hand on her forehead. What was happening to her? As far as her sanity was concerned, she was sure that something was messing up with her brain. She closed her eyes and willed herself to clear her mind.

After a few minutes, she wasn't sure if she was asleep or awake anymore, what mattered was that she was finally relaxing.

She felt her subconscious sink deeper and deeper…

…closer and closer to the waiting arms of a smiling blue-haired, green-eyed, young man.

Her lips curled up in a happy smile. _"Athrun…_" A blissful sigh escaped her lips.

Then, her eyes snapped open. She abruptly sat up and knocked her hand on her head for a few times. "Where the HELL did that come from!"

She stood up and started pacing the floor again, her mind (not to mention, her heart) racing. _'This is absurd! I've only met him! In fact, I've just stopped hating him! This isn't possible! This can't be happening! I refuse to admit it!'_

She clenched her fists and let out a huff of frustration. _'He smiles all the time! He has weird, blue hair! He likes boring, black coffee! He used to be a snotty brat! He… He…'_

She racked her brains for more reasons why Athrun wasn't all that. But unfortunately, she came up with nothing. Well, something, if you counted the headache she felt after forcing her brain. She muttered several curses that would make even sailors flinch and stomped angrily on the floor.

Ironically, for someone as frank as she was, if there was one thing that Cagalli was good at, it was denial.

_'Okay. So, he's nice. He has a nice smile. He's a gentleman.'_

She stopped her pacing and sat back down on the couch.

_'He makes me smile when I feel frustrated. He makes me laugh when I want to kill someone. He makes feel happy when he smiles. He makes me feel giddy when I see him. He sort of understands my feelings… And just now, I felt…distraught…when he said he 'met someone very special'.'_

It couldn't get any more obvious than that! Her gaze fell on her reflection in the TV screen. She was wearing a silly smile on her face! And that was when, finally, realization sank in.

"Oh. My. God." She muttered, eyes growing wide. "I like him!"

-

After her very recent discovery about some developments to her love life, Cagalli had spent the better of the past three hours doing what she did best: ceiling gazing. She had relocated to the comfort of Shinn's bedroom, her mind amazingly clear and light-headed, her heart now beating to a slow rhythm and her stomach forgetting about dinner.

It was so…surreal.

She just admitted to herself that she liked Athrun. As in, liked -liked- Athrun, the ex-snotty-brat. In the span of two days, Athrun had endeared himself to her, Cagalli Yula Athha, picky dater from hell.

And she didn't even know how the hell it happened!

Maybe Athrun put something in all the food that he gave her…

Like some sort of 'love potion' or something…

'_Or something…'_ She sighed. _'What a great way to realize that I like someone! Perfect timing! Just when my father arranges for me to get married, I find the guy that I like! How's that for irony!'_

She grabbed a pillow and buried her head with it. Well, what should she do now? Tell Athrun that she liked him? Go back home, marry the jerk and forget about Athrun? It wasn't like she loved him anyway! Was it?

Her eyes grew wide. _'Hell no! Love is such a strong word! And a very long leap from hating him! Better take things one step at a time!'_

The silence of the room was then replaced by the annoying ringing of her cell phone. She groaned and rolled onto her stomach to reach for it on the floor, where it lay. She glanced at the screen and rolled her eyes after knowing who it was.

"What do you want?" Cagalli snapped through the receiver. She was in no mood for any of Shinn's antics.

"_What do I want! I want you to go home Cagalli!"_ a familiar voice replied angrily.

Cagalli abruptly sat up, her face going white. That wasn't Shinn. That wasn't Shinn's irritating voice! She felt a lump form in her throat and she swallowed it nervously. _"K-Kira?"_

"_I'm glad you still remember me!"_ Kira commented sarcastically. _"Where the hell are you? We've been worried sick!"_

At least they didn't know where she was. She would have to give Shinn credit for that, at least. But Cagalli, unused to being shouted at, felt her sudden fear being replaced with her usual anger. "Why the hell should I tell you where I am? That would ruin the whole point of running away now, wouldn't it!"

"_Cagalli! Grow up!"_ Kira snapped harshly.

Finally, Cagalli saw red. "Grow up? Grow up! I -am- grown-up, if you haven't noticed! Very much grown-up to make my -own- choices!"

"_If you're talking about the marriage…"_

"I -am- talking about the goddamn marriage, damn it!" she interrupted. "Why the hell would I run away if it weren't for that! I don't care for whatever twisted reasons Father has, but he should've asked for my opinion first! It's not him that's gonna be living with some jerk for the rest of his godforsaken life!"

"_Cagalli…"_ This time, Kira's voice sounded just like the gentle one that she was accustomed to.

She felt tears form at her eyes and she wiped them off quickly. "Don't 'Cagalli' me! Just because you found your princess charming through an arranged marriage doesn't mean that I will, too!"

Kira chuckled. _"Of course not. I'll be mortified if it's a 'princess charming' you'll end up with."_

"Don't kid with me!" she retorted. "You know what I'm talking about."

She heard Kira sigh. _"I know, Cagalli. But will you please go home? I promise we'll talk about it with Father."_

"I don't want to talk about it. I want to cancel it," Cagalli answered as she hung up. She turned off her phone and lied back down. She glared at the ceiling, and growled in annoyance. It wouldn't be long before her Father found out that she was staying at Shinn's apartment. She didn't know how Kira managed to use Shinn's phone, but she was too tired to think about it.

The whole afternoon had been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride and she was ready to call it a day. She was about to close her eyes when she heard soft knocking from the front door. She was sure that it was Athrun.

Cagalli wanted so badly to just ignore it and go to sleep but she felt a sudden urge to tell someone about her problems. Someone that would listen… Athrun wasn't a boyfriend, but he was still a friend.

After checking her reflection to make sure she looked decent, she made her way towards the front door and opened it. There was Athrun, with the usual smile on his face. But the smile was quickly replaced by a worried look.

Before he could say anything, Cagalli butted in. "What do you have there?" she asked, pointing at the brown paper bag that he was holding.

Athrun lifted it up. "Oh, this? Chocolate chip cookies. I remember you said you liked them so I decided to buy some for you."

"That's very nice of you!" Cagalli beamed. _'Is this guy for real?'_ she thought incredulously. She opened the door wider and gestured for him to come in. "I hope you drink instant coffee because that's all Shinn has," she commented as she went inside.

"You're really intent on treating me for coffee, huh?" he asked laughingly.

She pointed at the chair on the kitchen. "Sit there and wait for the coffee. The living room's too messy."

"Yes, ma'am," he mock-saluted as he made his way towards the proffered chair. He sat down and placed the bag of cookies on top of the table. "Hey, do you have a plate?"

Cagalli approached him and took the bag. "You sit down, okay? I'll re-heat the cookies and make some coffee for you. Or…" she trailed off thoughtfully. "Do you want some milk? Since it's cookies and all…"

Athrun let out a soft chuckle. "You read my mind!"

She grinned. "Well, it was kind of a wild guess. I didn't think you'd be willing to say 'no' to your beloved coffee." Then, she turned her back to him and proceeded to prepare their snack.

After a few minutes of silence, Athrun finally spoke up. "Have you been crying?" he asked in a small voice.

Cagalli thanked the heavens above that she was just arranging the cookies on the plate. If she was holding the glasses of milk instead, she was sure she'd have dropped it. She took a deep breath before she answered. "What makes you say that?" she asked in a casual voice.

"Your eyes," he answered simply.

Cagalli chose not to answer at the moment and walked towards the table holding a tray with the cookies and milk. She placed it on top of the table and sat on the chair opposite Athrun's. They were now facing each other but Cagalli couldn't bring herself to look at Athrun directly in the eye.

_'Minor briefing, Cagalli. The only thing you're telling him is the marriage thing, okay? No more, no less. Find some other time for your confession!'_ she reminded herself. She sipped some of her milk and cleared her throat. "To tell you honestly, I'm here because I ran away."

Athrun blinked. "You ran away? Why?"

"Well, you see…" Cagalli felt her cheeks heat up. "My Father arranged for me to get married," she finished in a small voice.

Athrun stared dumbfounded at her for a whole minute. He shook his head, as if to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Then, his jaw actually dropped!

Cagalli started to feel the familiar beginnings of annoyance. What was up with this guy? Was it so hard for him to believe that -she- was getting married? A scowl found its way into her face. "What the hell? You don't believe me?"

The opened jaw finally snapped shut and Athrun blinked. Then, he grinned apologetically. "I'm sorry. I was just…surprised."

"Obviously," she muttered dryly. She took a deep breath and reached for a cookie. "Anyway, Kira called me up and that basically ruined my day." _'Aside from the knowledge that you're probably taken', _Cagalli added in her mind.

When Athrun didn't reply, or even showed signs of doing so, she glared at him. He continued to stare in space, expression completely unreadable. In fact, if it weren't for his deep breaths every now and then, Cagalli could swear he already bit the dust and passed on to the great beyond.

Cagalli could feel a vein ticking in her temple. "What the heck is the matter with you?" she finally erupted. "Is it so hard to believe that I'm actually getting married?"

That sudden outburst finally snapped Athrun out of his mysterious thoughts. "Um… not really. I was just er, thinking," he explained weakly.

Cagalli raised an eyebrow, but otherwise (and surprisingly) said nothing.

Athrun forced a cough, and looked away sheepishly. "Just wondering who the guy is."

Cagalli shrugged. "What's the point in telling you? It's not like you can do anything to solve my problem. You asked and I just answered your question. End of story." She rolled her eyes. "Now, could we please change the topic? You're supposed to make me forget about my problems not make me think about them." Right. So much for telling the truth! What does she get? A sympathetic gesture would have been fine, but no! She got a jaw-drop! She sniffed, completely miffed.

Athrun's lips curled up. Now, that was what she was looking for! The usual smile finally graced his features. "Sorry. So, what would you want to talk about?"

_'What about your special someone?'_ Cagalli thought moodily. "Oh, I don't know. Your life as a campus idol, I guess."

Athrun frowned. "I'm not an idol."

"Sure you're not," she replied dismissively and quite unconvincingly, while dumping her cookie in her half-filled glass of milk. "You're one of the easiest persons to read!" Cagalli mentally rolled her eyes. That was the biggest lie that she had ever told – aside from telling Shinn that his pet hamster died because of cancer.

Finally, Athrun did something that Cagalli had never seen him do – ever. Fidget. "Er…" he began nervously. "Actually, I want to ask your opinion about something…" he trailed off uneasily.

She swallowed her mouthful of cookies and milk before answering, "Shoot." How she managed to keep her voice calm despite her immense curiosity, she didn't know. If Athrun Zala was fidgeting, it had to be about something big – and juicy.

Athrun's cheeks turned red. "What did you think of me when we were kids?"

Cagalli blinked. "Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear or what you need to hear?"

"Need to hear."

"Okay. Well, I thought you were one stuck-up little brat…" _'A -cute- stuck-up little brat.'_

Now, it was Athrun's turn to blink. "You did?"

She nodded as she sipped some of her milk. "I did," she confirmed for more effect.

There was a stunned silence from Athrun's side…which Cagalli found totally annoying. Did he have to make it seem like she was the bad one by sounding so harsh? It was the truth for god's sake! And he was asking for it! She opened her mouth to tell him exactly what she thought as of the moment, but Athrun beat her to it.

By laughing.

He was laughing.

Hard, she might add.

Cagalli reached for a cookie and watched him make a weirdo out of himself. After Athrun had managed to finally gain his composure, he gave her an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that. But did you really think I was cute?"

Cagalli's eyes grew as large as dinner plates. She dropped the cookie that she was holding as she clapped her hand in her mouth, horrified. GOD! Athrun Zala wasn't just cute and smart! He was also a mind-reader!

(Amazing just how much in denial she was)

'_Or worse…'_ (And much more embarrassing, might I add)

Ah, finally realization.

Did she just speak out loud that Athrun was a CUTE stuck-up little brat?

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_**Author's Notes:** You gotta love the subtle art of cliffhangers. Yes, it is an art. Still curious about the mysterious 'girl-friend', I see. Cagalli's mouth has a life of its own. You'd be surprised; it even has a driver's license of its own!_

_Kidding, of course._

_Well, this story is just for laughs so don't delve too deeper into the plot. No hidden mysteries or dramatic pasts or angst-ridden flashbacks. Just what a romantic-comedy should be. Oh, and this chapter will be the closest we'll get to drama._

_For those wondering what happened to Shinn's hamster, just imagine Cagalli petting the hamster when it suddenly bites her. You get the picture._

_So, for this chapter's questions: Did Shinn finally crack under pressure and tattle on Cagalli? Will Cagalli's revelations about Athrun's cuteness result to them getting together much earlier than scheduled?_

_What do YOU think?_

_**Thanks **for taking the time to read my fic. And those who reviewed get my **thanks personally**: **Genny-chan**, **Craze Izumi**, **periodic-prose**, **LadyT**, **animeluver461**, **thousandbirds**, **MyouseiSeed**, **The Angels' Princess**, **CrimsonSkies**, **CelicaChick**, **purple1**, **Yukimi noh Daiomoru**, **MiyuCagalli**, **Eternally Asuka**, **i.inspire**, **MXC – the show- rocks my socks**, **Maryam Khanoom**, **Lalalu**, **maDeeneR-**, **mystriaL-aNgeL**, **The now-rabid Nilaga Lover** __and **CheLLieTTe - ChaN**  
_

_Oh, and out of curiosity, will all the Filipinos please stand up?_


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